who should pick up the burden for deficit reduction? working people who have seen their wages go down or the top 2% who have done phenomenally well, while their effective tax rate, as mitt romney reminded us by not releasing his tax returns, is extremely low. so to my mind, what this deficit reduction debate is about is asking the wealthiest people, the large corporations to help us with deficit reduction and give a break for a change to the middle class and working families. >> as you say, one that would mean less money for seniors with the social security adjustment is off the table, are you more optimistic about getting a deal done. >> we still have a long way to go. >> what do you see as the major sticking point? >> one of the sticking pointing, what the republicans want to do is continue the 2010 agreement on lower estate tax rates, which means, chris, $120 billion tax break over a ten-year period for the top 0.2 of 1%. they get $120 billion tax break. and people come forward and say we're very serious about deficit reduction. thir